Voyager . . .

Sunday, August 12, 2018

The Hercules Family --- The Constellation of Corona Australis The Southern Crown

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Our ninth Hercules Family constellation is Corona Australis The Southern Crown. Visible to the south from the ancient Near East this crescent shaped constellation was considered the counterpart to Corona Borealis The Northern Crown, which was visible to the north. 

Corona Australis is a small and dim asterism with no stars greater than the Fourth Magnitude, but because of its distinctive shape it is readily visible on a dark night. 

There is no specific mythology associated with Corona Australis. The ancient Mesopotamians called it "The Barque" (a type of ship), and the Chinese saw it as a turtle. The Greco-Romans saw it more as a victor's wreath --- a stephanos --- than a true crown. Sometimes it was considered the wreath worn by Sagittarius, and was counted as part of The Archer. It became a crown proper in more modern times. 

There are surprisingly few deep sky objects associated with Corona Australis. The most impressive is a triple nebula, The Coronet Cluster, in which the gases glow brightly backlit by nearby stars.


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